In the photo below, the lead pack crosses the first ditch down the opening mile.

The Rotary Resolution 10K has been a challenging race from the start. The course is more cross-country than road. After charging down the grass covered field for the first quarter mile, runners get a taste of blacktop for a couple hundred meters. Then “the road is long with many a winding turn.” And by road we mean dirt as in “country roads take me home.” Mile two and three go through a farm where “life on a farm is kinda laid back.”

If you were a volunteer course marshal, the morning was brisk but just barely damp from the pleasantly unrequited promise of rain for the weekend. As a runner, missing the water at the first two ditches on the opening hill just meant that you were not muddy until the next mile. Most of the experienced runners were in shorts and by the last mile were hoping for rain to cool them off.

There was “no wind, no rain, or winter storm” to slow the runners this year. Times could have been very fast. With so many races in the area, the field of elite runners was diluted. Still, there were nearly five hundred finishers in the 10K and nearly two hundred more in the preceding 4K. The last two miles of the race are a little faster than most of the course with a long downhill and paved roads until that last quarter back up to the finish. Final quarters take care of themselves.

This year the favorite was Mark Stickley (44) of Winchester, VA. He had run in 2005 against a strong field, finishing fourth, second master in 34:50. This year he lingered back of the lead pack for the first half mile and then eased away from the field. While he had the third slowest winning time in the first ten years of the race, his 35:01 was near the 40-44 record set when Tim Schuler topped him in 34:33 to 34:50 in 2005. Next year he can gun for Chuck Moeser’s 45-49 record 34:44. In photo left, Andres Wright (40) of Frederick, MD used his newly minted masters status to cement a solid 35:25 second place award.

The battle for third was between two teens. Tim Maline (18) of Herndon, VA sprinted up the final hill for an excellent 36:08. Two years younger, Andrew Budiansky of Leesburg, VA was not far behind in 36:50. Awards were to the top three runners and the top two in five year age groups. Christian Falmagne (45) of Bethesda, MD was fifth as the last sub 6:00 pace finisher in 37:11.

Bruce Halpin (50) of Ashburn, VA ran a solid 40:49 for the grandmaster title just beating Michael Fitzgerald of Hagerstown, MD by five seconds. Bob Chase (60) of Pimmit, VA was tops in 46:43 surprising Lou Shapiro (65) of Silver Spring, MD in 47:02. Shapiro gave John Elliot some incentive with his second fastest course time for the 65-69 division. Elliott had set the record in 44:17 in 2005. Richard Williams (71) of Alexandria, VA (54:36) broke George Waxter’s best time to earn the second fastest time. Jerry Lewis, who often Duels with Williams set the record in 2005 with 53:59.

For the women, Jen Oblas of Leesburg, VA had finished second last year on the course that grew well past 10K in distance. This year she looked relaxed running ahead of the entire field. Her time was the slowest winning time so far but she did reset the Leesburg resident record with her 43:40. Anita Freres (41) of Reston, VA was the top master coming in second in 44:11 just out of reach of Oblas. Christine Goodrum of Leesburg (in photo above), VA was next in 45:10 holding off a late rally from Mariana Pargana of Washington, DC in 45:23. The rest of the top ten were very close as well with three places decided by just six seconds.

Tenth place Karen Young of Boyds, MD is getting an early start on the 10K. In 2005 she ran forty of them. Last year she only ran 38 10Ks in her 113 races for the year. Linda Sheimo (50) of Fairfax, VA ran a solid 51:10 for the grandmaster win. That is a ranked times and they do not come easy on this scenic course.

There were many, many young runners in the 4K. In the 10K the youngest runner for the males was Spencer Barrett (9) and for the females Amanda Eller (12) both of Leesburg VA. The record for the boys is still seven by Michael Castor. In 2000 phenom Aurora Scott of Portsmouth, VA, then just nine, was fifth overall in 46:02. Now sixteen she has run 16:37 for the fastest female 5K in the region in 2006.

After the race, runners enjoyed abundant quantities of refreshment inside the recreation Center.